अजय/Ajay

Yes, you are right. Personal account.

[अजय/Ajay @RuralHuman]

Have you tried turning the world on and off again?

[अजय/Ajay @RuralHuman]

The DW Freedom of Speech Award 2025 - recipient Tamara Kintsurashvili, Georgia #GMF25

[अजय/Ajay @RuralHuman]

DW Global
Media Forum 2025 at Bonn - Breaking barriers, building bridges - #GMF25

[अजय/Ajay @RuralHuman]

2025 .o/

[Jessica Berlin @berlin_bridge]

Desi Deutschland for the win 😎🇩🇪 #euro2024

[Reuters World @ReutersWorld]

India, Europe trade group to sign pact on Sunday, sources say https://t.co/nFy2yaKSGf

[अजय/Ajay @RuralHuman]

Everybody has a story in their head. Everybody believes that story to be the only universal truth.

[Valdecy Urquiza @INTERPOL_SG]

INTERPOL is committed to supporting the G20 against current and future security threats posed by emerging technologies.
We provide a globally effective cooperation model based on neutrality and reciprocity, on operational security and voluntary engagement.
A model that works.

[अजय/Ajay @RuralHuman]

Choices?

[DW Global Media Forum @DW_GMF]

@Kantharis "I’m a blind journalist," says @DeutscheWelle's @EskAbadi from the audience. "Well, first I’m a journalist, then I’m blind." #GMF23

[DW Global Media Forum @DW_GMF]

"True inclusion can only be celebrated when we all focus on the story beyond the story… " Journalists should look beyond protagonists' disabilities and focus on their achievements, says Sabriye Tenberken, founder and co-director @Kantharis #GMF23

[DW Global Media Forum @DW_GMF]

Now in the plenary chamber:

[Sanjeev Bikhchandani @sbikh]

On the Ashoka WhatsApp group there is a discussion on the convocation speech and what kind of convocation speakers we should look for. Most people are posting videos of commencement speakers from US universities.

I posted the following message

👇

A random thought on convocation speeches.

We want a convocation speech that is slick. One that is delivered by a speaker in polished sophisticated English. With the right accent using the right words.

The convocation speaker in my graduating class at IIMA was V Krishnamurthy. Chairman of SAIL. He said all the right things but guess what - thirty four years out I don’t remember a word of what he said and I don’t think what he said made any difference to the lives of any of my classmates. That speech did not change anyone’s behaviour or influence any of the choices we made in our lives.

However I vividly remember remember the speech made by the chief guest at IIMA in the previous year. Being in the junior batch I was not invited to the event so along with several others from my class I watched the function from the first floor of the building on the side.

The chief guest was Dr Verghese Kurien Chairman NDDB.

He was not polite. He was downright rude. He was condescending. He was sarcastic. He was caustic. He was insulting. He spoke a few home truths to the graduating class. He taunted us.

He opened by congratulating the graduating class. He then said that this is not the Indian Institute of Management. This is the Indian Institute of Management for Shampoo Salesmen. And that the entire graduating class could now look forward to a life where they spend their time selling soap and shampoo. For that is the limit of our aspiration and ambition he said. We just wanted to work for Multinational Corporations peddling their wares to Indian consumers. Such a collosal waste of talent he called it. And throughout his speech he repeatedly used the term “shampoo salesmen” derisively to describe the graduates of IIMA.

He challenged us to do something more meaningful with our lives and try and make a difference.

But then he lamented that his words were going to fall on deaf ears and that we would take the safer option.

Now it requires some guts to go as a chief guest to a function and then make a 30 minute speech berating and insulting your hosts. But that was Dr. Verghese Kurien. In your face. Blunt. Calling a spade a spade.

By the end of it our ears were burning.

But guess which speech we remembered.

And Some of us did do something different.

The class of 1989 has produced the most number of entrepreneurs in the history of IIMA.

Sometimes warm fuzzy convocation speeches don’t make lasting impact.

[अजय/Ajay @RuralHuman]

#GMF23 Did @LeymahRGbowee just suggest that we need to dismantle the UNSC and that no one should have a permanent seat? 😯 This years @DW_GMF has started.

[DW Global Media Forum @DW_GMF]

Our #GMF23 team, moderators and other staff worked all weekend to prepare for tomorrow. 🔨

Doors open at 8 am for registration.

At 10 am, Director-General @DW_Limbourg opens the 16th DW Global Media Forum. 🤩

Here's the program again: https://t.co/WQ9JxUzGiY

See you tomorrow!

[अजय/Ajay @RuralHuman]

मेरे पास माँ है

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

I have spaceships